In some ways, yesterday was like any other day...
Jerusalem Municipality Demolishes Palestinian Homes in Beit Hanina
11 September 2001
Today, Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the Jerusalem municipality has
continued its policy of demolishing homes in Al Ashkariya in Beit Hanina.
The demolition was carried out under the protection of dozens of heavy
armed Israeli policemen and border guards as well as Special Forces and
intelligence agents.
LAW's researcher stated that the municipal bulldozers started the
demolition at 9.00 am., with the home of 31-year old Issa Jaradat who
works at a restaurant. The home which shelters Jaradat's wife, 30-year-
old Merriam Abdul Kader and their 12-year-old daughter, was a two-bedroom
brick house built six years ago. Jaradat told LAW that he had received a
demolition notice two years ago and paid a fine of NIS 12,000. The
building cost Jaradat NIS 140,000 (approximately USD 33,000).
Israeli bulldozers then knocked down the home of Ramadan Bader, which was
built in 1992. Bader received a demolition notice in 1993 but
successfully appealed it in 1993 and paid a fine of USD 10,000. Bader
told LAW that he had paid the licensing fees but the municipality kept
delaying issuing him with a construction license. He added that a warning
did not precede the demolition of his home. However, Bader managed to
stop the demolition of a second part of his home and the Israeli police
admitted that they had made a mistake but claimed that Bader had added an
annex, which he denied. Bader plans to file a lawsuit against the
municipality.
In addition, the home of Aysha Abu Nab was demolished. Aysha is 43 years
old and has lived in her home for eight years. She paid a fine of NIS
28,000. Aysha lives in the house with her elderly and sick mother. The
demolished house is 100 square meters and it was demolished without a
previous warning.
Six families in Al Ashkariya received demolition notices yesterday
morning but managed to obtain orders to stop the demolition late at
night. The municipality demolished additionally an apartment block
belonging to Ibraheem Al Julani, who told LAW that he had obtained a
building permit from the planning committee but despite this permit, the
municipality demolished his building. Such measures reassure Palestinian
Jerusalemites that the municipality does not want them to live in
Jerusalem since it does not provide Palestinian Jerusalemites with
building licenses even when they own the land on which they build on.
Since the beginning of this year, Israeli authorities have demolished 272
Palestinian homes, including 35 homes in occupied East Jerusalem, 202
homes in the Gaza Strip, and 35 homes in the West Bank.
LAW strongly condemns the Israeli policy of house demolition. LAW
reiterates that such measures aim at cleansing Jerusalem from its
Palestinian residents and reflects Israel's apartheid policy.
LAW demands the Israeli occupation authorities to stop the policy of
demolishing Palestinian homes. LAW calls on the international community
to urge Israel to stop such aggressive measures and to implement the UN
General Assembly's resolutions on Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
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